Express & Star

Campaign launched to complete installation of Cradley church dial

A church is raising funds to complete the installation of an eye-catching clock dial which has undergone a £3,000 revamp.

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Judith Round, whose dad Les Billingham was the church warden at St Luke's and maintained the clock when it was installed there, and James Brookes, project manager.

The campaign is being run by St Peter’s Church, in Cradley, Dudley, which is trying to overcome a £4,500 funding shortfall in the project.

The dial was saved from being scrapped after it was formerly located at St Luke’s Church, in Cradley Heath, which was demolished in 2016. The clock was originally installed there in 1949.

After being saved, it underwent a restoration project in order to be installed at St Peter’s, on Church Road. The project was completed by skilled craftspeople at the Cumbria Clock Company – who repaired the broken cast iron frame, repainted it, installed a new glass cover and laid on new gilding.

James Brookes, project manager, says £9,000 has been raised from the community so far – with £3,000 used on the restoration.

He says a further £3,500 is needed to install the dial and a further £8,000 to protect the dial from lightning strikes. In order to raise funds, the church has launched an initiative called “Just A Minute”, which asks members of the public to sponsor a particular minute on the clock to help raise funds.

To sponsor, visit www.stpeterscradley.org

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